Trench-gun and the like.



A. DE M. BELLAIRS.

TBENCH GUN AND THE' LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED m1. 23. ms.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. DE M. BELLAIRS.

TRENCH GUN AND THE LIKE- Arru'cmou FILED m1. 2a. 1916.

1,287,157. 1 Patented Aug. 14,1917.

Wibwlsses. lnvefutor' w AUMBMM gzwau UNITED STATES FQFFI To all whom it concern:

residing in London, England, ave invented oertaln new; and seiful lmprovementsiin lowi11g is a specification. I

This lnvention is .for improvements in or relating to trench guns, rocket guns, artil- Trench -Guns' and ,the like, ofv which the follery, and the like and has for its object/to provide an easil portable-gun whichoanbe readily handle 1n the trenches or other positions incomparatively close proximity to the enemy for the purpose of throwing explosive projectiles into the enemys lines According to thisinvention a trench-gun orithe like is provided wherein the'base of.

the: barrel is extended into the firing chamber which is a'dapted to be charged with an explosive gaseous mixture (for example ,air

and acetylene") and which isof greater diameter than the barreL, characterized. by the-portion oi the barrel whiohen'ters the chamber having free communication at a Ltirnes with the firingchamber (for examplelb y being perforated near its end as well as being open at its extreme end)...

The gnn maybe provided with measuring means so that a measured quantity ofgas can be passed intothe firing chamber of the gun at each operation. a i The measuring means may take the form of a timed clockwork device for automati- Cally c o i g e .a i s pn e fie; as or itmaytake the form of a; chamber icoritfa ini aplu er h me ma ne d y h wm e a v gas oi tro ee ei aft rward i en-bathe p er iinta i he: am neha b r .9 5 t a 1 @11 he ascompa n g d awing zwli h w n irely vd gr mmatlpa 1. Figure i aplan o at gun e n trnete apeerding toone; method oaf carrying out this,

nirrv ntion i,

thevgun shown-pea arge ss a e than F g-rglnd; ev d d-rwithre mQ-d e or o charge ingt wipe-weer: as his a;- plenfze a un similar toithat shown in Eigi, ,1, but which;

Like letters indicate like partsv throl ghy u theidmwingwr 1 cv de xw th {t o measur ng of England iiigfg n p1 Patented Aug '14, 1917.

Application mammary zaiaia, serg ant. 30,019.?- a

he fi e r h m en B y! tendi g-the barrel into g f amber B t etbt gth ofithe gun is shortened and'to allow the'gas to fi efl n e th -bar l, .l-Q 1y i h end left open but :the extremefen s erioat d. .a sewn i111 t ed i nese kBil-i l 1th: in the barrel and on thedischarge side of, he perforation is a fieng 'B? wh eli h ectile rests V i-11 11. vthe I is about to Pa l-5 2i v red, In the to of the 'firing e amber fonrf 111 {cocks Q aremounte each with a an e'. Thes 'c c hw en u n d in one direction, put the chamber into communioation with 1 11 atmosphere 'throu h mean ngs Q? and n tu ne i te other direction they seal these openings. The handles of -thetwo cocks on the one side are, so positioned on their 2 respective plngs that whenfthe cocks' are closed theyare tordae ie e e't as h w n i lrwhich enables the operator readilysw'in ,them oiifiwa' dl ii peni i i ii 9 Q'Sin "on .11? fi nghamber b tw en Y fi sbe g i ih h .l, ,ue'e' v m handlefllj. e o t one e d of. i iheihatrel and he .Q h rfend. otthe' barr l is connectedfihro ig i a woway cockE, to a. nippleEifiJid a condnit'E. Thenipple E is connected by a tnbe E to algae-cylinder onaoe y en g nQr tQrfIandJt ie cq E heo ration of this gnnisas ol1ows .ih igm be; fi edis g drpppd into the e em h muzz e sa an a v v d'tq slide ,lQw m-m il t a .ts pantt z fl P e' F- Themks a have Prev ously, waned e l a hee rr l a e oi liftl ebar i l udi a s t i r nging-the firing ehamb er from the exh us gasesflotthe previous, char .e. The coek E, s; Q'ee et t admit. s 1 a an i y1indeiaflm barrel th ldr iyes the i 4 Ware-J sJi leh g fifi t te d, eplnnger s allowe L a e ed-9. is th tten t me men an pfias the shell. slid 55 he P e$11r .imheba ne'islallowed to rise ith el hishige thaPr'es wabsentee n; h se e m-er 1 tea-me n :ere

\whi a a be n; er l determ ned ev ns; are n and throw the conduit E into communication with the barrel D; 'lhe'halidle' D of the plunger is then pushed home so that the charge in the barrel D is forced into the firing-chamber. The cock E is their once" more turned to close the conduit E and a new charge may be allowed to commence to llo w; into the barrel D or the cock may be n'ovidml with a l'iali' -way oint so that it merely closes the conduit F withoiit Opening communication between the conduit E? and the'barrel D. The gun is now fired by any convenient ignition device, indicated' at G, such as a percussion nipple or a'nelec'trie igiiition pl'iig. As soon as the shell has been disch'ar' ed the cooks G are a'ga'iri opened and 5m cycle of operations is re' peated. I I

When in use-the gun may be set endwise down in a trench with the barrel leii ning against theside of the trench to give it the desired elevetion, or it may be carried oh a. tripod so arranged as to permit of its elevation being varied.

It will be appreciated that it isnot alwa s desired that the gun shall. fire the shell t 'e same distance andthis is varied by varying the charge admitted to the firing-chamber. This v'ciriation of the charge may be: con trolled by cuttingiofi' the admission to the barrel D before the pressure in the barrel reaches the mean pressureof the c linder, o m en I y 5 p ov d f bekm th rod of the Phtiig'mfD? atany desired point so that only a 'coni 'espondin portion of the hariel' is filTed with gas at the desired pres} sure" prior'th cut tin "10H the supply and dis char ing the contents of the htir re'l'i into the firing-chamber. Or, at ai'n, the pliing'enrod may be merely mer ed to indicate the charge necessary for different ranges so that as sooii as this is re'alched' the operator can shiflt oh the ga's'. Y

As is well known, a more violent explosion can be obtained by the use of acetylene and y e fl e i is seid. o me e n air: In "'e erra ngeinentl previhii'sly' described the air conteihe'd iii the" fi-riii gs ve se we u r i'tl e e'sis'ery oxygen to the" acet lene but obi ion's'l'y y e n. pen-Mi? i f kl if 16;

' c em sired, iii the" same" Inannei ejsthe eeety'l e'iiel theblrhel n toether with the" aee ieneer The cylinder H is connected by a conduit H'to'a plug-cock ll which is spring-controlled so that it tends always to turn in a. clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow, to a closed position. The cock is held in, the open position by a. ill'l[)]')lli lever K, |')ivoted at K, and having a pin K which engages a 'irojecting finger H on the cook. The lever is held in the engaging" position by a spring K': These parts are repeated with reference to the cylinder J which is connected by a. conil'nit' J to a s iiring-contr'olled. cock J Which also'tends'to move in a cilii okwisc direction but is held in the open position a spring-controlled trippiiig lere'r' The cocks H J piit the conduits H", J in'to direct communication with the firing-chai'nber B of the g-iin when they are open and when closed they merely close the chal'nberl lVfonIitd between the two cocks is a sprihg-driven inotonmeclninisrn, lTldlCd-ted at hi. This niay comprise a spring-lmrrel, shown in dotted lines at M and a. train of wheels controlled by a fly. The spindle M of one of the Wheels projects tl'iroiigh the casing which inclos'es the n'iotor-niieehanism a-iid carries a disk M in whose periphery is a series 0? holes M In these holes pins M M? are mounted and they can be placed in any hole accordirig'to the time. in which it desired the cocks H and J shell respectively bielosed. i

The operatioh of this device is as follows:

H The gh-s from the cylinders 11' and J will tra verse the conduits H and J at a known speed and elxperiinent' it can be easily ascertained as to how fer the pins M M shall be set from their respective trips in order to trip the cocks at such time as is necessary to'insure that a charge, sufiicient to throw the shell the required distance, sha-il have entered the firing-chamber. As the proportions of acetylene and oxygen required are not 1 to 1, the pins can he set so that one cock will he closed Before. the

'othenend by vzi'rying the richness of the" mixtiife aiiiil also the quantity of gases al'-' lowed to enterthe fiiin gQchaInber, the rsin e of the g'im may be readily controlled. T e motor may be provided With any convenient starting and sto ing device" and When the pins have been properly adju-sted,-the motor is started and will run until first one p'ih and thenthe other operates its allotted tripping lever. Ass'o'o'n as the lever is trip ed the corresponding coc'lr held by it is operarea by; its controlling sprin so that it is bioiig-ht' he thecl'osed posifii-o As'sooii as the operator sees that both m s havebeenreleased he stops the motor an the gun ciin' ores-be fired.

It will be understood thetthe s'hell is in: fir odliiied in the S'arh mime:- as his been 0 tha tgwhen. the mlv'e Nil is. in

.th said chamber is shutpif f ch b san rd e n betw en ithelfiringdhamber a I s? ran e. Once the; prqper adj p1 PQS Mhem h er qved uriless astheprqy ersvdropsit is folmdneees v furtherbacky To btal (for cent; 

